RIYADH: Visitors from Saudi Arabia and around the world are participating in the 32nd Janadriyah National Heritage and Culture Festival, annually organized to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s lifestyle and the symbols of its identity. The heritage oasis from various regions of the Kingdom and presentations by national and international organizations are good attractions drawing many visitors every day. The 18-day-long festival, which opened last Wednesday with India as the guest of honor, is seeing a huge rush of visitors, both citizens and expatriates.US Army delegation impressed A delegation from the US Army Command and Staff College said it was impressed by the cultural heritage and folklore of the Kingdom during their visit to the festival. The delegation on Wednesday visited pavilions of the regions, governmental administrations and markets participating in Janadriyah. Col. Rosenburger, one of the delegation’s members, praised the development renaissance the Kingdom is witnessing.KAUST displays innovations and startup projects King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is displaying innovations and startup projects, most notably selective hydrogen generation technology as an alternative energy source, energy-efficient light bulbs developed in cooperation with SaNoor, drones, the smart suit, the supercomputer “Shaheen II,” and smart dental brace technology. KAUST’s participation at Janadriyah this year also features documentaries depicting the university’s various laboratories and facilities specialized in the process of water desalination and the reuse of desalinated water in a sustainable way, harnessing state-of-art technologies and alternative energy sources.87 trips for students to festival The oasis of the Saudi Commission of Tourism and National Heritage has so far received more than 670 students from different parts of the Kingdom, Saudi Press Agency said. The director of the “Live Saudi Arabia” program at the SCTH, Hatim Al-Ahmadi, said more than 87 tourist trips will be organized for students to the festival. He expected more than 3,900 students to visit Janadriyah through the program. The program also allows teachers and educators to participate in community and voluntary activities organized during such visits, he said.Traditional sesame oil mill from Jazan The corner of a sesame processing mill in the heritage village has attracted a large number of visitors interested in the traditional methods of producing sesame oil. Eisa Al-Rajhi, one of the participants displaying the traditional sesame processing mill, said they wanted to demonstrate the traditional methods that most people still use in Jazan and Asir Regions.Precious stones pavilion a hit among visitors The precious metals, industrial rocks and ornamental stones displayed at the pavilion of the Saudi Geological Survey drew plenty of attention. The pavilion features samples of gold, precious metals, and aluminum ores along with samples of the most important industrial rocks and minerals such as granite and stones. SGS spokesman Tareq Aba Al-Khail said the strategy for mining aims to increase the production of minerals, metals, and rare-earth elements to grow production tenfold because mining is one of the national economy’s strongest pillars.